Geordie duo pretended to call the professor after camp mate Scarlett Moffatt told a story about trying to email him

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By JILL ROBINSON SHOWBIZ REPORTER

16th November 2016, 10:34 pm

Updated: 16th November 2016, 10:54 pm

ANT and Dec have come under fire from I'm a Celebrity viewers following a sketch about Stephen Hawking.

The Geordie duo pretended to call the professor in one of their live links on Wednesday nights show following footage of Scarlett Moffatt recalling a time when she tried to email him about his theory on time and time travel via a Hotmail account.

ITV

Ant and Dec have come under fire for doing a sketch around Stephen Hawking

Many found the joke distasteful

Viewers were not impressed by Ant and Dec's actions

Picking up a mobile phone, Ant dialled a number and pretended to speak to the 74-year-old, with an automated voice similar to the electronic one used by the physicist booming out from the speaker.

But viewers were up in arms at the gag, taking to Twitter to share their disgust.

One wrote: "I found the Stephen Hawking jokes extremely distasteful tbh #ImACeleb", while another echoed their thoughts, saying: "Sorry what have I just watched?